[Graham Boak]

I suspect it of being inflated rather than total fantasy. It could simply be that the P-51 pilot was poor to the point of incompetence - or at least highly inexperienced. However, there are ways of minimising the penalty: start with a heavy P-51 and a light P-38. Keep the fight hard-turning to low and slow, where the drag difference (the P-38 has more than twice the zero-lift drag of a P-51) was less significant, and so that the P-51 couldn't just dive away - the P-38 was poor in the dive. This would eventually lead to both fighters falling out of the sky, or perhaps a slow scissors combat.... Even then, the P-51 would have been able to simply climb away. However, as this would not be recommended in real combat because it would make an easy shot, so perhaps the P-51 pilot didn't try it for that very reason. The P-51 was not the best climbing fighter.